


Right At The Very End

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Dancing and Singing, First Dates, Flirting, Idiots in Love, M/M, Nervousness, Old Friends, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-19 23:56:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13134855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: Harry Styles. The boy Louis had a crush on back in secondary school. Louis hadn’t really been comfortable in his sexuality back then. He knew he liked boys but he was too afraid of what other people would think of him to do anything about it. Harry didn’t really help his situation. He’d moved in across the street from Louis at the start of year twelve and he’d been so curly and kind and beautiful. Louis was a goner pretty much immediately. They’d been close until uni when they’d gone in separate directions.Uni was where Louis was able to grow more comfortable in his own skin, but as he was growing, he and Harry had grown apart. It saddened Louis and he’d felt more than one moment of regret, wondering on occasion over the years where Harry was, what he was doing now.Apparently, what he’s doing now is cooking in his parents’ kitchen. And dancing.OrLouis and Harry were best friends who lost contact when they went separate directions for uni. Maybe this time, they’ll get it right.





	Right At The Very End

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lululawrence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lululawrence/gifts).



Louis is lucky he has a job where he can work from home this year. It means he gets to spend a glorious two weeks with his family this Christmas and New Year’s. It’s nice being back in his childhood home, surrounded by his rambunctious younger siblings who crawl over him and puppy pile while they watch Christmas films until they pass out way past their bedtimes. It’s a wonderful feeling, being surrounded by love and warmth at a time when he usually feels loneliness and regret at not being able to be home. He feels like he’s in his own Christmas film.

“Whose turn is it to wrangle Eden inside?” Louis’ mum calls, poking her head out of the kitchen where she’s washing up from supper.

“Not it!” Lottie shouts, touching her finger to her nose. All of Louis’ siblings follow her example, quickly laying a finger to the tip of their nose while Louis struggles to get his arms out from under where Daisy and Phoebe are laying on them. Even Doris and Ernest, who couldn’t possibly carry out the task on their own have joined in, though Ernest’s finger is more _in_ his nose than on it. That cat hates Louis. Hates everyone really, except his mum.

Louis narrows his eyes at his siblings, all but the littlest ones looking at him with an innocence that he knows they don’t actually possess. “Something smells rotten here,” he says, finally wriggling his arms free. He gently removes Ernest from where he was laying sprawled across Louis’ lap, and moves to get up. It seems he has some a cantankerous cat to deal with.

“Maybe Ernie or Doris had an accident,” Daisy suggests, fingertip still on the end of her nose.

“Maybe I’ll show _you_ an accident,” Louis taunts, playfully menacing. He pokes a finger into her side, making a giggle spill from her lips before he steps away and moves to the front door. “Just remember,” he says with a glance over his shoulder. “Santa’s watching.”

A glimpse of the worried looks on both sets of twins’ faces has Louis grinning wickedly as he pulls his coat on. He slips his feet into his Vans without having to retie them and steps outside, humming _Jingle Bells_ to himself as he closes the door behind him.

A quick glance around reveals no grumpy cats.  Louis feels a brief moment of relief until he remembers that he actually has to _find_ the little menace and then somehow get it inside the house. If only it was snowing, he’s sure he wouldn’t even have to touch the vicious thing. If this is a Christmas film, he decides, he must be in a comedy. Something like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Or maybe Ernest Saves Christmas.

As Louis is searching the bushes in the front garden, he realizes that he can hear music coming from somewhere. Looking around, he notices a door opened at the house across the street and that, it seems, is where the music is coming from. Louis recognizes the tune, but he’s not sure where from. Curious, he takes a few steps closer, squinting his eyes to try and see what’s going on beyond the open door, and that’s when he see him.

 _Harry Styles_. The boy Louis had a crush on back in secondary school. Louis hadn’t really been comfortable in his sexuality back then. He knew he liked boys but he was too afraid of what other people would think of him to do anything about it. Harry didn’t really help his situation. He’d moved in across the street from Louis at the start of year twelve and he’d been so curly and kind and beautiful. Louis was a goner pretty much immediately. They’d been close until uni when they’d gone in separate directions.

Uni was where Louis was able to grow more comfortable in his own skin, but as he was growing, he and Harry had grown apart. It saddened Louis and he’d felt more than one moment of regret, wondering on occasion over the years where Harry was, what he was doing now.

Apparently, what he’s doing now is cooking in his parents’ kitchen. And dancing.

Louis watches Harry wiggle his hips along to the song that’s playing. Covering his mouth with a hand, Louis chuckles when Harry stops stirring whatever is in the bowl he’s clutching to hold the wooden spoon in his hand up to his lips like a microphone.

God, Louis really liked him. And here he is feeling those old feelings swell inside of him again. Maybe he should go talk to Harry, just an old friend checking in. People do that, right? _Yeah_ , people do that. Louis nods to himself, his internal pep talk giving him the courage to take another step towards Harry’s door. He stops, frozen, when a silver-haired girl appears, hugging Harry from behind. Her face is turned away from him but Louis’ heart lurches at the sight. He should have known that Harry would have a girlfriend he’d brought home. He always was a charmer. Louis bites his lip and looks away. He has a cat to find anyway.

“Eden,” he calls with his hands cupped around his mouth. It’s not going to help but at least he’s doing something other than standing there idiotically, not knowing what to do. He moves into the neighbor’s garden and stoops to look under their cars. “Come here, kitty. Eden?”

“Louis?” A voice carries over to him and Louis recognizes it immediately.

 He winces to himself, lifting up from where he was on all fours, sitting back on his heels. He really should have known that he would draw some attention, yelling like that. Turning his gaze back to open door across the street and the man now standing in it, Louis waves sheepishly. “Hi, Harry.”

“Hey,” Harry answers, a grin growing on his face that does weird things to Louis’ belly. “I didn’t know you were home.”

“Uh, yeah. Just got in last night,” Louis answers, standing and brushing off the knees of his jeans.

“You should come visit sometime, while you’re home. We can catch up,” Harry said, wiping his hands on the mistletoe laden ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron he’s wearing.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Louis grins. “I’d love that.”

“Great,” Harry nods as they both fall silent, just kind of… staring at each other. After a few seconds, Harry’s face clouds with confusion as his gaze flicks around. “What were you looking for?”

“Oh,” Louis inhales sharply, relieved to have something more to talk about and he walks over, so they don’t have to yell across the street to each other. “I’m supposed to be shepherding Eden back to the house.”

Even from where he’s standing now, Louis can see the smirk on Harry’s face, glowing from the lights strung up around the edge of the roof. “Having trouble with Edna?” Harry teases, referring to their old joke that the cat was like a grumpy old lady, more likely to hit you upside the head with her cane than allow you to help her across the street.

Louis grins, shaking his head. “Can’t believe you still remember that.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Harry asks, a cute little line marring his brow like he’s offended Louis thinks so little of his memory. “Those were _the days_ , Louis. I remember the last two years of sixth form better than I remember yesterday.”

Harry laughs as he says it but that funny feeling in Louis’ stomach just expands to his chest. He thinks it’s affecting his heart now. Were Harry’s days with Louis really that special to him? They were certainly special to Louis.

“Yeah, me too,” Louis agrees, catching a glimpse of someone from his house peeking out of the living room window to watch them. “Look, um, I have to find this cat before someone sends a search party for me,” he says, gesturing to the window just in time to see the curtain pulled closed, the spies inside hiding from view. He smiles at Harry’s laughter and continues on, “Maybe we should _go out_ to catch up, away from nosey sisters and mums. Maybe get some coffee?”

“Yeah,” Harry’s cheeks dimple with the force of his grin. “I’d love to.”

“Great,” Louis says calmly, though internally, he’s utterly rejoicing. Some time alone with his old crush. Oh, unless Harry brings his girlfriend along. And why shouldn’t he? But Louis’ joy is already dimming at the thought. “So, uh, any chance you’ve seen an elderly grey menace roaming around your garden lately?”

“Once or twice, actually,” Harry laughs. “Not tonight though.”

“Well, damn,” Louis sighs. He really has no idea where to look.

“Where are my cookies?” Someone shouts further inside Harry’s house. A female voice.

“If you hadn’t burnt them the first time and filled the kitchen with smoke, they’d be done by now,” Harry calls back, absently rubbing his arms like he’s cold and Louis supposes he probably is.

“If you would get back in the kitchen and finish baking them _for me,_ they’d be done by now,” the same voice replies, the silver-haired girl appearing at Harry’s side. “What are you doing, anyway?”

Louis could laugh. He really could, because the silver-haired girl is Harry’s sister Gemma and he feels so fucking relieved. “Hi, Gemma,” He greets with a wave.

“ _Louis_ ,” she says, side-eyeing Harry before giving Louis a predatory grin. “I didn’t know you were home.”

“He just got in last night,” Harry tells her looking for all the world like he wants to push her back inside the house.

“ _Interesting_.” 

Louis is not sure he likes Gemma’s tone or the way she’s eyeing him. God, how awkward would it be if Harry’s sister asked him out? He nearly shivers in discomfort at the mere thought.

“Um, so. I have a cat to find,” Louis explains, taking a step backward. “I should… get back to that.”

“Wait,” Harry calls before Louis can get any further away. “Um, do you have your phone on you?”

“Yeah.” Louis pulls his phone out of his pocket and Harry steps forward to take if from his hands, typing his number into the contacts.

“So, just…, call me when you’re ready for that coffee,” Harry tells him, handing the phone back and making Louis’ fingers tingle when Harry’s graze them.

“Okay,” Louis says, thinking he maybe sounds a little breathless.

“You two are going out for coffee?” Gemma grins between them. She looks a little too happy about it and Louis figures maybe he was mistaken about thinking she might have been checking him out earlier.

“Um, Louis?” Harry draws his attention before he can answer and he sees Harry grinning at something over his shoulder. “Looks like Edna’s pulled one over on you.” He points a finger at Louis’ house.

Louis turns and, sure enough, his mum is standing in the window holding a smug-looking Eden in her arms. She makes the cat wave at the group outside and laughs as she moves away from the window, the curtain falling back into place.

“Oh, thank god,” Louis mutters, spinning back around to inform the Styles siblings that, “I had no idea where to look for that cat.”

“You could have just waited until morning,” Gemma shrugs. “It’s supposed to snow. She’d have been waiting on the porch for you to open the door so she didn’t have to get her paws wet.”

“That’s a good idea but I’ll let _you_ suggest it to my mum next time,” Louis tells her. “She loves that cat. _I’m_ not gonna suggest leaving it outside overnight. In the snow.”

“Bye, Louis.” Gemma rolls her eyes and makes her exit.

“ _Rude_ ,” Harry says to her back, rubbing at his arms again and turning back to Louis with another grin. “Sorry about her.”

“S’alright,” Louis shrugs. He’s not standing here in the cold for _Gemma._ “She’s got the right idea though. God, you must be freezing.”

“Yeah, I should probably get back to those cookies.” Harry takes a small backwards step. “Just, uh, don’t forget that coffee, okay?”

“Wouldn’t dare,” Louis grins. He’s absolutely serious. Now that he’s seen Harry, stood directly in front of him, been reminded that the Harry that has occasionally appeared in his dreams over the years is a poor facsimile of the real thing, Louis doesn’t think he could resist seeing him again if he tried.

Harry nods, taking another step back. “Good.”

“Goodnight, Harry.”

“Night, Louis.”

Louis turns away from the other boy and starts across the road even though that’s the absolute last thing he wants to do. A loud clatter from Harry’s doorway has Louis spinning around to see him using the doorjamb to pull himself up from the floor.

“I’m okay,” Harry says automatically, making Louis giggle behind his hand. He really hasn’t changed since sixth form. He’s still unfairly cute and endearingly clumsy. Maybe Louis hasn’t changed at all either, he still wants to kiss him.

“Take care of yourself, Harold. How are we supposed to ever catch up if you brain yourself and can’t remember anything?” Louis yells from his front door.

“You’ll have to take care of me and read my old journals to me if I forget everything, Louis,” Harry calls back.

“Sure thing, Harry,” Louis laughs, something vaguely niggling at the back of his brain. _Oh_. Wait. “ _Hang on_ , are we the old couple from The Notebook in this scenario?”

“Call me,” Harry grins and Louis can’t be sure given the distance but he thinks maybe Harry’s just winked at him.

He’s still standing at his front door, starring, when Harry disappears into his house because… The Notebook is a _romance_. Has Louis been in a romance all this time without realizing? His heart flutters at the thought and he moves slowly, opening the front door and walking into his house. His thoughts are such a whirlwind that he barely notices his siblings’ teasing about his fool’s errand.

He sits down to another film, siblings crawling all over him to get comfortable again before it starts. Louis pulls his phone out of his pocket while he can still get to it and stares down at it. Harry’s number is in there and Louis doesn’t want to have to wait to call it. He will. But he hates it.

They’re not far into the film when he hears it, the song that pulled his attention to Harry’s open door in the first place. His head snaps up and he sees Billy Mack singing “Christmas Is All Around”. He can’t help remembering Harry dancing around in his kitchen, singing into a wooden spoon. Smiling at the memory, Louis decides that, no, he will not wait to call Harry. Despite the displeased grumbling of his siblings, Louis excuses himself from their puppy pile and goes upstairs to his bedroom, closing the door behind him as he thumbs through his contacts, looking for Harry’s name.

His hands are trembling, a nervous energy pulsing through his veins as he taps on Harry’s name. His heart in his throat as the screen lights up with the word _calling_ , complete with an ellipsis as the phone rings on the other end of the line. He’s made a decision. He doesn’t want to just catch up with Harry, unless that’s his only option. He rather likes the image Harry brought forth of Louis taking care of him, like they could mean something to each other.

Taking a deep breath, Louis brings his phone up to his ear. He hears the trilling of the ring for a scant moment before Harry’s voice replaces it.

“I wasn’t expecting you to call this soon,” Harry answers without a proper greeting. Louis can hear the smile in his tone and it melts his heart a bit. “I’m glad you did though.”

“Me too. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow,” Louis responds. He wonders if Harry can hear his grin as well, if maybe he can even tell how Louis’ blushing just by the cadence of his words, the weight of each consonant and vowel as they leave his lips.

“I know what you mean,” Harry replies. “I’ve missed you so much, Louis. I don’t think I realized how much until I saw you standing there, right across the street from me after all this time.”

“I’ve missed you too, Harry.” Louis nervously fixes his fringe and swallows. His voice is soft even to his own ears, fond, and he’s not sure if he should mention that he knew exactly how much he’s been missing Harry.  “So, um, there’s something I wanted to ask you. Or, well, I guess ‘ _tell you’_ would be more accurate.”

“Sure, Lou. You can tell me anything.” Harry sounds concerned and Louis worried that he’s already fucking this up.

“I just, um. I was hoping…” Louis rolls his eyes at himself when he can’t get the words out. “I…”

“It’s alright. Take your time, Lou,” Harry says. He sounds vaguely amused now and Louis can picture the cute little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “’M not going anywhere.”

Louis feels a pang of regret in his chest. He’s heard that promise before. He’s _made_ that promise before, only for both of them to break it. Maybe he can give Harry a better reason to stick around this time. Or… possibly, run away screaming. But no, Louis isn’t thinking like that. As adamant as Harry was about getting coffee with him, he hopes that they might actually be on the same page, or in the same movie if Louis is going to keep the comparison he’s been using. He takes another breath and mentally encourages himself. He can _do this_.

“That coffee we’re supposed to get sometime, I was hoping that, uh, that it could be a date.” Louis’ grip on his phone tightens now that the words are out, his free hand clenching into a fist at his side. He waits anxiously for Harry’s response, all his deep breathing for nothing as it catches in his throat.

“Oh thank goodness,” Harry exhales with a giggle. “I thought maybe I’d been too subtle. Of course it can be a date, Louis. God, I’ve been dreaming of you asking me out since I was seventeen.”

“Wha-  you have?” Louis asks, dumbstruck. All that time, they’d been wanting the same thing? Louis shakes his head at himself. He’s such an idiot.

“Yeah. I was terrible at hiding it too but Gemma always told me you were an oblivious idiot.” Harry says, laughing, and Louis would melt in it if it weren’t for what he just said.

“Oi!” He yells, making Harry laugh harder. _He_ can think he’s an idiot, but no one else is allowed to. “I may be oblivious but I got there eventually, yeah.”

“Yeah.” There’s a pause before Harry speaks again. “I’m really glad you did, Lou.”

Louis feels his cheeks flaming. He’s got butterflies in his belly and electricity in his veins and he doesn’t think he can wait for this date. “Fuck coffee,” He says spontaneously. “What are you doing right now?”

“Uh… The cookies come out of the oven in four minutes and then I’m free to do whatever.”

“Good,” Louis says, nodding his head once to himself as a plan falls into place. “Harry, will you go on a date with me? Tonight? In, like, five minutes?”

“You know I will,” Harry’s grin can be heard in his words and Louis already feels like a livewire. Maybe those sparks in his blood will turn to fireworks. 

“I’ll meet you at your kitchen door in five. Bundle up for warmth!” He hangs up before he realizes that he didn’t really give Harry a chance to reply but then just shrugs his shoulders and gets moving. He grabs a blanket from the hall closet and rushes downstairs to the kitchen. Forgoing food, he instead grabs a bottle of wine and two glasses. Informing his mum he’ll be back later, he kisses her on the cheek and bundles himself up at the front door to protect from the cold.

Harry is standing outside his kitchen door when Louis arrives, hands in the pockets of his pea coat, breath visibly rising in the cool air.  “Tsk, tsk,” He clucks with a smirk, pulling his phone out of his pocket to show Louis the screen. “Louis Tomlinson, late on the very first date. That’s not very promising.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Holding your date to impossible standards isn’t very promising either, Harry.”

“Punctuality is an impossible standard?” Harry asks, following without further prompting when Louis starts walking away from the house.

“Five minutes to get ready for a date is an impossible standard.”

Harry makes some kind of squawking sound from behind him and Louis grins to himself. Yep, same old Harry. So easy to rile up.

“It was a standard _you_ set,” Harry argues, bumping Louis’ shoulder with his own. “ _I_ was ready.”

“How’re the cookies?” Louis asks, glancing at Harry. “All snug and comfy and in pretty Christmas tins, then?”

Harry pouts out his bottom lip and glares at bit. “Gemma promised to make them for church and then _I had to bake them_. She can do _some_ of the work.”

Louis laughs, handing the wine bottle to Harry. Harry takes it, looking at it questioningly, before looking back at Louis. Louis smiles.

“Just freeing up a hand,” he explains, reaching for Harry’s empty hand and tangling their fingers together.

“Oh,” Harry says, cheeks turning pink to match his cold-nipped nose as he bites down on a smile. Louis can see the dimple in his cheek though and he squeezes Harry’s fingers as they start up a hill. It’s Clearview Hill, as Harry named it when they were teenagers. (“Because it’s got a clear view from the top, Lou. Get it?”) They spent many evenings here growing up, talking about nothing and just enjoying each other’s company.

Once they’re at the top of the hill, Louis reluctantly drops Harry’s hand to pass him the wine glasses so he can spread out their blanket. He settles down on it and takes everything from Harry’s hands so that he can join him.  Opening the bottle of wine, carefully, he  pours them each a glass, handing Harry’s over and watching at Harry takes a sip.

“Mmm,” Harry hums, licking his lips when he’s done. Louis wonders if he realizes how sensual it looks when he does that. “That’s good wine.”

“Good,” Louis says, taking a sip from his own cup. It _is_ good.

“So,” Harry starts, sliding closer into Louis’ side to cuddle up against him. “What have you been up to since uni?”

“Well, I got a job working for an online publication right after graduation but it was one of those crap ones that only really deals with celebrity gossip and shit so I quit as soon as I found a better job. Now I work for a different online publication that I’m actually proud to be working for. I’ve been looking at maybe moving a bit closer to home because my job actually allows it now. And…” he hesitates wondering if he should add the last part of what he wants to say. “And I’ve been wondering what you were up to.”

Harry pauses in raising his wine to his lips to look at Louis sharply. “You’ve thought about me?”

“Yeah,” Louis admits, rubbing at a fingerprint smear on his glass so he has an excuse not to look at Harry’s face. “A lot, actually.”

“Me too,” Harry says, smiling shyly when Louis finally meets his eyes. “I always regretted not telling you how I felt and then losing contact like that.”

“Yeah. We can’t do that this time,” Louis says into his wine glass as he takes a sip.

“Agreed,” Harry answers, watching him closely and reaching up to wipe a drop of wine from the corner of Louis’ mouth as he lowers his glass.

Time seems suspended when Harry’s thumb smooths over Louis’ stubbled skin. Their eyes catch as Harry’s hand stills, cradling Louis’ chin. Louis’ pretty sure he leans into it first but Harry meets him half way, their lips brushing together softly. It’s gentle and slow but there’s no hesitancy to it. Harry seems pretty sure of himself when he licks over Louis’ bottom lip, dipping his tongue into Louis’ mouth when he opens up to him.

Louis goes to put his hands in Harry’s hair, to pull him closer but then he realizes that he’s still holding his wine glass.

“Hang on,” he says, pulling away to drain his glass and set it aside. “Okay.” He leans back in, ready to continue their snog but Harry stops him.

“Wait,” he says copying Louis’ actions and drinking the rest of his wine, a little slower than Louis would like, and putting his glass to the side as well.  “Okay.”

They come back together like stars drawn by each other’s gravity, those fireworks Louis was imagining earlier, setting his whole body alight as they crash into each other. This kiss is perfect and wonderful and devastating all at once because it makes Louis realize just how deep his feelings have always been and just how far he’s already willing to go for the boy in his arms.

They only break apart when Louis feels something wet and cold on his cheek. He opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is the snowflakes on Harry’s eyelashes before his eyes are opening too.

“It’s snowing,” Harry murmurs, content to burrow into Louis’ warmth instead of moving away from him.

Louis checks his phone. It was already quite late when they’d set out but now it’s after midnight. “It’s Christmas,” he announces into the quiet of the night.

“Happy Christmas, Lou,” Harry tells him, pressing a kiss to his neck.

“It already is,” he answers, kissing Harry’s hair in return. “I’m glad you came home this year.”

Harry gives him a funny look before his face clears of confusion. “Oh, right. We didn’t get to talk about what I’ve been up to, have we?”

“You mean, before you attacked me with your lips?” Louis asks with a smirk. “No, we didn’t. What have you been up to, Curly?”

“Teaching. I’m a music teacher at our old school, Lou.”

Louis’ hand freezes from where he was carding his fingers through Harry’s hair. “You live here?”

“I live here,” Harry confirms, a grin growing on his face. “I hoped you meant it when you said you were thinking of moving closer to home.”

“Well, I’ve got all the more reason now, don’t I?” Louis snuggles Harry closer.

“Presumptuous,” Harry hums, lifting up from where he’s lounging on Louis’ shoulder to kiss his lips. “Please do.”

“I think I will. There’s this boy I’ve had my eye on for _years._ Think this might really be my chance to get it right with him.”

“Yeah? I think so too,” Harry answers with a grin, pulling Louis into another kiss.

It’s just like a movie, Louis thinks. A Christmas movie, where going home for the holidays brought them together again. They’ve got a second chance. And Louis’ not gonna let them miss it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> “The thing about romance is people only get together right at the very end.” - Sam, _Love Actually_
> 
> Hope you loved it!!


End file.
